Riposte
by MaMbMc
Summary: It's been almost five years. Kendall left for boarding school after eighth grade graduation. Kick graduated from Mellowbrook High School; then left, traveling the world, doing stunts. They happen to come home for a visit around the same time.
1. Chapter 1

Kick Buttowski took a deep whiff of the air around him as he got out of the car. He couldn't help but grin.

_Mellowbrook. Home. _He stretched from the long car drive. _I can't believe it's been two years…_

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><p>Kendall Perkins sighed as she unpacked her things. Ever since she decided to go to boarding school after she graduated eighth grade, she felt like she was always loading all of her things up to go <em>somewhere. <em>So, here she was, unzipping suitcases and cutting open boxes of items from her freshman year of college; her first summer back in Mellowbrook since boarding school.

She straightened herself up, brushing her hair out of her eyes. It was the same style it had always been, only now she brushed her bangs to the side. She had grown some since she left home, of course, but nothing drastic. She was still Kendall. She even had the same boyfriend.

_Ronaldo. _She smiled softly. He would be arriving home in a week from Harvard. She couldn't wait to see him again; in person, and not on any sort of computer or cell phone screen.

"Kendall, honey, time for dinner!" Her mother called.

"I'll be right down, Mom!" She replied, smoothing out her knee-length checked skirt. She pulled down her ponytail; dug around a bit, found a brush, and quickly pulled it through her hair. She replaced her discarded headband on the crown of her head; running down the stairs.

Her mother smiled at her as she entered the dining room. "I made chicken and rice- your favorite."

Kendall grinned. She knew something smelled good. "Thanks, Mom. It looks delicious."

They all sat down. Her father asked her how school was going, and she told him all was well. The conversation was pretty normal, as far as the Perkins family went.

"Kendall, dear, I believe some of your old friends have come home for the summer!" Her mother said excitedly.

"Oh, really?" Kendall murmured. She figured that, by "friends", her mother really meant people she had simply grown up around, like Jackie, or Mouth-

"Even that Buttowski boy is back! My, how he's grown!"

Kendall dropped her spoon in shock. It made a loud _ping _as collided with her bowl, but her parents didn't seem to notice.

"And Magnus Magnuson's son is with him, I believe. Those boys have always been close, haven't they, sweetheart?" Her father said, waiting for Kendall to respond.

"Yeah. Yeah, they have." She said absentmindedly. She was burning with curiosity. _Five years… _She had to know what he looked like… Her mother had mentioned that he had grown- was he tall now? Did he still wear his helmet all the time? Was he still…_Kick_?

"I suppose all those "stunts" he always used to do have finally paid off," Her mother said, chuckling. "I see him on television all the time."

_He's still doing stunts. _She smiled, comforted slightly by this thought.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash outside. A small crowd was gathering next door- at the Buttowski residence, of course.

"What on earth was that?" Her mother murmured, craning her neck to look outside.

"May I be excused?" Kendall blurted out.

"Oh, yes- of course, honey." Her mother said, obviously distracted by the commotion outside.

Kendall sprinted out the door, grabbing her purse as she left. She _had_ to make it look like she ran into them by accident if they saw her. She joined the crowd, staying toward the back of the group.

"Give it to me, Gunther!" A voice, one of a little girl, yelled angrily.

"No! It's _mine!"_ Someone else hollered. Kendall assumed it was Gunther, for it sounded just like he always did, just a bit deeper.

"I called the last funnel cake! FAIR AND SQUARE!" The girl yelled again. She recognized her now- Brianna Buttowski, _Clarence's _little sister. She stood on her tiptoes to get a better view.

It was Gunther. He looked almost exactly the same, just a_ lot _taller. And bigger. He was sitting on the pavement, among a variety of overturned garbage cans. The source of the noise.

"I got to it first, so therefore, it's _my _delicious funnel cake." Gunther turned his nose up stubbornly. The funnel cake was on a plate in his hand, his arm stretched out and away from Brianna. "We've been home for a _week, _and this is the first one I've had!"

"Why don't you just split it?" Someone said. Kendall started at the voice as he moved into her view. She gaped.

Clarence Buttowski… was tall. Even taller than her. He had an average build; leanly muscled, not too big, not too skinny. He still wore a jumpsuit; but now it had a belt, and he had added blue to his usual red, white, and yellow. And, to her amazement, his hair flipped out from under his helmet. She had never seen it before. It was dark brown, almost black.

His facial features were the same; of course, just a bit sharper and more defined. He was still cute, like she had thought when they were twelve, but now- he was a different kind of cute. He had grown into a- dare she think it- _handsome _young man.

His voice was the same as it used to be, maybe even a smidge of an octave lower. His- _ahem_- _hind end _was still on the larger side, but it didn't overwhelm his frame as much as it used to. _You know_, she thought as she gaped at him, _Some girls consider that an asset…_

She snapped her mouth shut and swallowed, blushing slightly.

"I never even thought of that…" She heard Gunther say, sounding slightly bewildered. "Wanna split it, Brianna?"

She saw Brianna ponder this a bit. She huffed. "Fine. Come on." She yanked Gunther by the wrist into the house.

The crowd began to disperse. Kendall tried to maneuver throw the clumps of people. She _must _get back home without _Clarence _recognizing her-

"No way… _Kendall_?"

Kendall froze, then turned around. He gave her a variation of his classic crooked smirk. But his eyes, instead of being narrowed and determined, were sparkling with a mixture of surprise and happiness.

She couldn't help but grin back. "Well, if it isn't _Clarence_ Buttowski. It's been a long time. I should've known _you _were the source of the commotion."

"And, of course, the chief of the _fun police _had to investigate." He stuck his hands in the front pockets of his jumpsuit, chuckling. "So, what have _you_ been up to since you abandoned everyone and went to boarding school?"

"I didn't _abandon _everyone!" She said indignantly. "And, if you _must _know… I've been away at college. I returned for summer vacation this morning. What about you, _Clarence?_ Why are you home all of a sudden? Oh, let me guess… A stunt, right?"

Kick grinned and gave a little shrug, his eyes looking directly into hers. They were a deep, dark navy blue, almost black. "What can I say? You know me well. And, besides, there's only _one_ Dead Man's Drop."

She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you fling yourself off of that cliff all the time when we were kids?"

"'Course I did. But the press doesn't know that. Besides, I haven't done it in years. And _never _on a motorcycle."

She shook her head at his reasoning. "You're gonna get yourself killed…"

He gave her a confident look. "Obviously, I haven't yet, have I?"

She rolled her eyes. "Remember that time when our hands got stuck together with sap? When we were twelve? I was collecting it in that cave for Ronaldo's birthday dinner…"

"And I crashed into you when I was spelunk boarding…" He added, smiling.

"And I demanded you be a gentleman and help me up…" She laughed lightly. "You insisted we go down Dead Man's Drop to avoid being seen. It scared me to death."

"You weren't a wimp about it, though," He said, giving her a slight complement. "You definitely proved that you were pretty hardcore… Especially when you shoved me in a garbage can to avoid Mouth, and ate that moldy sandwich…"

They both burst into laughter at the memory. Kendall couldn't remember the last time she'd heard Kick genuinely laugh- and she loved it. It was bright, bubbly, and happy. A laugh you'd never expect him to have.

Kendall sighed as they calmed down, her sides hurting. "I swear, Kick, I wouldn't have half of my childhood memories if it weren't for you. So… Thanks."

He gave her a bright smile. "The same to you. And you're welcome."

"Kendall, sweetheart, phone for you!" Her mother called.

"I'll be right there, Mom!" She turned back to Kick. "I guess I'll- See you around."

He nodded once. "I'd be sad if I didn't." With that, he turned, and disappeared inside of his house.

Kendall walked toward her own home, a bit confused. _He'd be sad if he didn't… What does _that _mean?" _She thought, opening her front door.

"It's Ronaldo." Her Mom smiled.

Kendall sighed, pushing thoughts of her last conversation out of her head as she picked up the phone.

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><p><em>So... Should I continue? Or just leave it as a one-shot?<em>


	2. Chapter 2

_OHMYGOSH. I logged on to fanfiction today and did a happy dance. SO many reviews! I love you people! Thank you so much! 33333_

_Anyway, I have decided to make this a multi-chapter story. This is the last chapter in Kick's first person point of view. I did this to set up the rest of the story. _

_So, enjoy. :)_

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><p>Kick smirked in amusement. He crossed his arms as he watched Gunther and Brianna fight over something as trivial as a <em>funnel cake. <em>

But, hey, funnel cakes _are _delicious.

A crowd had gathered, of course. Watching a little girl argue with an older boy lying among garbage cans was something people couldn't pass up.

"Give it to me, Gunther!"

"No! It's _mine_!"

"I called the last funnel cake! FAIR AND SQUARE!"

"I got to it first, so therefore, it's _my _delicious funnel cake." Gunther said indignantly. "We've been home for a _week, _and this is the first one I've had!"

"Why don't you just split it?" Kick said, already becoming a bit bored of the feud.

Gunther's eyes widened. "I never even thought of that… Wanna split it, Brianna?"

Brianna snorted. "Fine. Come on." She dragged Gunther into the house.

Kick's eyes scanned the crowd as it dispelled. He didn't see anyone he recognized-

Wait a minute.

There was a blonde girl, not-too-politely shoving her way through the crowd; like she was important, had someplace to be, and a path should be made for her. The hair, the headband, the plaid… _It couldn't be…_

"No way… _Kendall?" _He blurted out. He never was one for outbursts, but this one couldn't be helped.

She froze for a second, then turned to face him. She looked…different, but still like _Kendall_, somehow.

Kick felt his face break into a grin. He'd been waiting to see someone from his childhood since he'd returned; and this was the last person he expected to run into.

Kendall smiled back. "Well, if it isn't _Clarence _Buttowski. It's been a long time. I should've known _you _were the source of the commotion." She was being her usual bossy, snooty self, but he could tell she was exaggerating a bit for old time's sake. He followed her lead.

"And, of course, the chief of the _fun police _had to investigate." He chuckled at his own words, sticking his hands in the front pockets of his jumpsuit. "So, what have _you _been up to since you abandoned everyone and went to boarding school?"

"I didn't _abandon _everyone!" She said haughtily; much to Kick's amusement. "And if you _must _know… I've been away at college. I returned for summer vacation this morning. What about you, _Clarence? _Why are you home all of a sudden? Oh, let me guess… A stunt, right?"

He shrugged, purposefully looking right into her eyes. They were exactly as he had remembered them- Like chips of green ice, smoldering with emotion.

"What can I say? You know me too well. And, besides, there's only _one _Dead Man's Drop."

She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you fling yourself off of that cliff all the time when we were kids?"

"'Course I did. But the press doesn't know that. And, besides, I haven't done it in years. And _never _on a motorcycle."

Kendall shook her head. "You're gonna get yourself killed."

"Obviously, I haven't yet, have I?" He pointed out.

She rolled her eyes, a classic Kendall facial expression. "Remember that time when our hands got stuck together with sap? When we were twelve? I was collecting it in that cave for Ronaldo's birthday dinner…"

Kick's brain flooded with memories. "And I crashed into you when I was spelunk boarding…"

"And I demanded you be a gentlemen and help me up…" She finished for him, giving a short laugh. "You insisted we go down Dead Man's Drop to avoid being seen. It scared me to death."

"You weren't a wimp about it, though," He admitted. "You definitely proved you were pretty hardcore… Especially when you shoved me in a garbage can to avoid Mouth, and ate that moldy sandwich…"

Kendall burst into laughter, Kick not far behind her. He liked Kendall's laugh. It reminded him of a bell ringing, carefree and weightless; completely contrasting with her personality.

Kendall sighed as the hilarity died down. "I swear, Kick, I wouldn't have half of my childhood memories if it weren't for you. So…thanks."

A warmth spread through him, partly caused by her compliment, but mostly because she had called him by his nickname.

He smiled. "The same to you. And you're welcome."

"Kendall, sweetheart, phone for you!" Someone called.

"I'll be right there, Mom!" Kendall yelled back. She looked back to Kick. "I guess I'll- See you around."

He gave her a nod. "I'd be sad if I didn't." _Why did I say that? _He thought, turning to go back inside his house.

He walked in, shutting the door behind him. Gunther was standing in the living room, wearing an alarmed expression.

"Was that who I _think_ it was?"

Kick sighed tiredly. He knew what was coming. "Yes."

Gunther grinned like the Cheshire cat. "Well, well, you and _Kendall Perkins_, of all people. You looked pretty chummy to me."

"Shut it, Gunther."

"Remember that time at the movie theatre, when we were twelve…"

"_Gunther, I said shut it!"_

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><p><em>How am I doing? REVIEW! TELL ME! :D<br>_


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